Moreno signs ordinance to let Manila City buy COVID-19 vaccines once available

On Thursday, August 6, 2020, Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso signs City Ordinance No. 8659, which allocates P200 million from the city budget for the procurement of COVID-19 vaccines once it becomes available. Looking on is Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna. Photo from MPIO

MANILA, Philippines — Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso has signed an ordinance ensuring the readiness of the local government to procure COVID-19 vaccines once it becomes available.

In approving City Ordinance No. 8659, Moreno sealed the allocation of some P200 million from the city budget to buy the vaccines.

“It turns out that the Manila City government already has available funds worth P200 million for the immediate procurement of COVID-19 vaccines should it become available this year,” Domagoso said.

“I want our city to have these COVID-19 vaccines, like how we are able to provide free COVID-19 mass testing—efficient, accessible, and free for all,” he added.

On July 31, Moreno expressed his intent to purchase vaccines to curb the rising number of COVID-19 cases in the city and in the country as a whole.  He then asked Vice Mayor Honey Lacuna and members of the city council to appropriate P200 million for the vaccines.

“Mga kababayan, maghahanda na po tayo ng pondo para bumili ng bakuna at kung ang bakunang ito’y darating sa lalong madaling panahon, ang Lungsod ng Maynila ay kahit papano, kung papayagan na makabili direkta sa isang approved by a particular agencies government, including of the national agencies, [ay] makapagtabi na tayo ng pananalapi,” he said.

As of now, no pharmaceutical company has finished its testing for potential COVID-19 vaccine but President Rodrigo Duterte said that they are expecting China to develop a vaccine against the latest coronavirus strain by December.

READ: PH contacts China, Taiwan drugmakers for possible COVID-19 vaccine deal

However, Anthony Fauci, the top infectious disease official of the United States, cautioned against vaccines from China and Russia as these may have not undergone much-needed scrutiny.

“I do hope that the Chinese and the Russians are actually testing the vaccine before they are administering the vaccine to anyone,” Fauci said.  “Claims of having a vaccine ready to distribute before you do testing, I think, is problematic, at best.”

READ: Anthony Fauci urges caution on China and Russia virus vaccines 

As of August 6, the Philippines has the most number of COVID-19 cases in the Asia Pacific region at 119,460 cases. This sum includes 2,150 deaths and 66,837 recoveries.

KGA